Coatesville considering vehicle purchasing program

COATESVILLE — The city is exploring beginning a leasing program for new vehicles for multiple departments.

Police Cpl. Kenneth Michels presented a proposal to council on Thursday that would allow the city begin leasing a few police cars, public works trucks and codes vehicles. He said the newest police vehicle is 3 years old, while the most recent purchase of a public works truck was in 2005. He said after about three years police vehicles become very expensive to maintain.

Michels, who manages the fleet for the department, said his maintenance budget for 2012 is $45,000 and the department should stay within budget, but that will not be likely for 2013.

“We will double our maintenance budget in 2013 if we don’t do something,” Michels said.

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Michels said a lease would cost about $12,000 per police car and he has proposed the city spending $45,000 this year for vehicles for police, public works and codes to start the program. He said the plan is to eventually have the program fund itself through savings and trade-in values from the vehicles after the three-year lease expires.

Public Works Director Don Wilkinson said his two large trucks that used for major projects and all snow plowing in the city are both 15 years old. He said if either of those trucks were to break during a major snowstorm, the city would have difficulty clearing the streets with just one truck.

Michels said the repairs to vehicles are becoming more and more major and the leasing program would also provide a warranty for the life of the lease that covers everything except tires.

Councilwoman Carrie “Villa” Hunt said she would be willing to consider such an initiative if Michels could provide invoices for the repairs on the various vehicles for 2012 and 2011. She those figures would help council make an argument to justify buying new vehicles during the difficult financial times the city is currently facing.

Councilman Jarrell Brazzle said that if saw those figures he would be willing to support the program and take on any criticism from residents.

Council President David Collins was not so eager to support the program.

“We can’t have a 2.5-mill tax increase with people driving around new vehicles,” Collins said.

Collins said he would be in line to complain with residents if employee, especially those in the city’s unions, were getting new vehicles, while taxes on those who can least afford it continue to rise. Collins said he would need to see full cost-benefit analysis that shows how much repairs would cost versus how much leasing could save in order for him to consider supporting it. He said just seeing the invoices for repairs would not likely be enough.